Masks by themselves aren't enough to eliminate the virus, though they can be part of a larger set of measures. The entire package of measures that bring viral

Masks by themselves aren't enough to eliminate the virus, though they can be part of a larger set of measures. The entire package of measures that bring viral prevalence to zero are well established, and have been implemented in several countries. They include: * Initial lockdowns to drive incidence down to near-zero. * After reopening, strict quarantine for people arriving from regions where the virus is circulating. * Thorough contact tracing, and the ability to quarantine people who come into close contact with infected people. * Temporary restrictive measures (like stopping mass gatherings) during new outbreaks. * The ability to rapidly test large populations during an outbreak, in order to quickly identify and isolate infected people and quarantine their contacts. This is an entire system aimed at keeping viral prevalence at zero over the long term. It actually allows most of society to function normally most of the time, because as long as there is zero prevalence, everyone can go about their lives normally.